MacMillan Bloedel Building

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Designed 1965 with Geoffrey Massey
This headquarters office building for Canada's largest company was a direct result of analyzing the client's requirements
for office space and function, and an intensive study of the site and urban design impact such a structure would have on
the City of Vancouver. The resulting building form is two independent towers positioned around a central core to allow for
more perimeter, therefore, increasing the possible number of offices with outside views. Each tower is sized for a variety of
partition layouts meeting a range of rental demands, while retaining independence and a sense of entrance created at the
elevator lobby on each floor- an important feature lacking in most office buildings.
The exterior walls are load-bearing cast-in-place concrete, tapering from the base to the top and textured through
techniques of sandblasting and bush-hammering. The interior is column-free, each office floor being a concrete grid
against which all partitions stop while completely integrating the mechanical, electrical, telephone and lighting
requirements within the structural framework.
The furniture system, developed by Arthur Erickson Architects for this project, was catalogued by the manufacturer as a
standard item.
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